


Under the Blossoms

by jolikawaiiciel (LottieHolmes)



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe - Victorian, I swear it has a happy ending, M/M, Sakura (Cherry Blossoms), Two Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-09-09
Packaged: 2018-12-20 12:11:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11920635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LottieHolmes/pseuds/jolikawaiiciel
Summary: 5 years prior to the start of Kuroshitsuji, Ciel and Sebastian met under a cherry blossom tree and made a certain bet that Ciel is unable to remember. He is set to lose until the tables are turned on Sebastian three days before the conclusion. SebastianxCiel





	1. Bet

**Under the Blossoms:**

** 1882: **

** London, England: **

_A figure clad in black licked the last vestiges of the soul he had just consumed off his lips and stretched his mouth into a heinous smile that was fitting of his nature, considering he was a demon._

_He glanced at the grove of cherry blossom trees surrounding him with their petals floating in the wind. He had chosen this secluded location carefully to end his contract with the human that was currently lying still at his feet underneath one of the cherry blossom trees, her blood soaking into the roots. The deathly pallor of the girl's skin completed the picture beautifully along with the cherry blossom petal that had just landed on her cheek_.

_The demon had not expected to find such a quiet and secluded place in London, a city that had become greatly industrialised of late and was teeming with masses of street urchins, carriages and factories breathing smog into the once fresh air. The aesthetically pleasing location made it much more enjoyable to consume souls, although this one had tasted a little bland- the girl had never been consumed by despair and hatred to the extent that would have made her soul taste rather delicious._

_His sharp ears picked up the unexpected sounds of approaching footsteps so he grabbed the girl's corpse and climbed up the nearest tree. It would not do for the body to be discovered in this area and have the grass and flowers trampled over by idiot peelers and gawkers._

_A small boy walked into view. The demon judged him to be around seven years of age and from an upper-class family if his finely tailored sailor collared shirt, shorts and shoes were any indication._

_The demon was prepared to wait for the boy to leave before he disposed of the body and went in search of a new soul to make a contract for. However, an unprotected event occurred right there and then._

_The blood that had been slowly flowing from the girl's body dripped down from the tree and landed as two splatters on the little boy's cheeks. The boy looked up at the tree and their eyes met, freezing both the human and demon in shock._

_After a moment, the demon recovered from the shock and jumped down from the tree with the girl’s body under one arm to knock the boy unconscious with a jab to the pressure point on the back of the neck and caught him as he fell._

_No one had ever witnessed him in a situation like this and he needed to make a decision before the boy woke up. The options were kill him or make a contract with him. The second option was not a particularly desirable one due to the fact that the boy did not reek of any despair instead it was quite the contrary, he seemed to be loved and well cared for which did not make for a mouth-watering soul._

_As he waited for him to wake he absently stroked the small boy's pale skin and fine blue grey hair, admiring the softness, a clear sign that he was from a rich family. He also rubbed off the splatters of blood. He watched the boy's eyelids slowly open to reveal clear cerulean blue eyes which first looked blank and then confused upon noticing that he was lying in the arms of a stranger. The demon waited for him to start screaming for help which he did not._

_Instead he stood up and looked around._

_"I am sorry, did I faint...?" he asked puzzledly. "Thank you for helping me."_

_The demon's eyes widened, the boy did not remember anything of what he had seen._

_"Are these cherry blossom trees? They look beautiful," the boy continued on, unaware of the dead body lying behind the tree where the demon had hidden it in a hurry._

_"Do you like them?" the demon enquired with a smile. "Do you know that a corpse is buried under every cherry blossom tree?"_

_"A corpse?" he gasped._

_The demon decided to have a little fun with the boy, even if he had forgotten about seeing the body for the moment, he might remember at a later date so he was going to have to kill him. A Japanese legend that he had heard regarding the colour of cherry blossoms provided the inspiration. He picked one of the blossoms and held it out for the boy to touch._

_"There is a reason behind why they bloom so beautifully, it is because of the corpse underneath the tree," he crushed the blossom in his hand and allowed it to float away on the wind. "The blossoms are white in reality, they are only pale crimson because they drank the blood from the corpse underneath the tree."_

_He found himself being thrown off again by the boy's response. Tears formed in his eyes and his displayed his innocence by asking,_

_"But does that hurt the person underneath the tree?"_

_The demon raised his eyebrows, the pure were fun to corrupt and taint. This boy was going to be more fun than he had initially thought._

_He bent down so he could get closer to the boy._

_“I will make a bet with you," he said. "If we ever meet again-"_

_As he spoke the wind blew loudly meaning that the boy was left completely in the dark about what the bet was about._

_"-but today I will let you go..."_

_Following that he knocked the boy unconscious again and swiftly left the scene with the body and disposed of it down a dingy alley on the other side of London._

* * *

_Five years passed until he encountered the boy again. The situation he was currently in was ironic considering that the boy had summoned him, in a fit of anger and hatred, a complete contrast to their last encounter._

_"Oh?" he smirked widely. The boy had changed dramatically since their last meeting, although his height was still around the same. "What a tiny master this is. The fact will not change in all eternity and the sacrifice that has been made will never return. Make your choice."_

_The newly applied pentagram on the boy's right eye glowed and with great force he shouted,_

_"I command you! Kill them all!"_

_A definite change from the innocent boy five years ago. Waiting for his soul to become delicious was one of the best decisions that he had made in his long life. But, for now he had an order to fulfil and within seconds he had efficiently killed every other living person in the room. They did deserve it, partially because the cult had summoned him to grant them eternal life without thinking of the consequences and for laying their soiled hands on his prey._

_He led the boy out of the cage and decided now would be the time to ask one of the most important questions._

_"What is your name?"_

_"I am Ciel. Ciel Phantomhive. The successor to the title of Earl Phantomhive."_

_The demon smiled to himself. His prey was quite the catch. He had guessed that he came from a rich family, but it was a surprise that he had been raised to become an Earl. He would have to choose his form carefully and ensure that it did not resemble the face he had been using when they had originally met._

_"I see. Very well. Then I must take a form befitting the servant on an Earl," he paused to merge into a human form. "Command of my anything you wish… my little lord."_

* * *

_Under the cherry blossoms..._

_Blood..._

_"Today I will let you go..."_

Ciel Phantomhive was jolted awake from his dream by the sound of his butler opening the curtains. He watched silently as Sebastian poured a measure of tea into a delicately rose patterned cup and added a dash of milk. He accepted the tea after recognising the scent as being Ceylon.

"Did you sleep well, young master?" the butler enquired and set the tea tray down onto his bedside table. "Your hair is more of a mess than usual and you did not look like you were comfortable when I came in to wake you up."

Ciel took a sip of tea and sighed. "I have been having a dream involving cherry blossoms as of late, but when I wake up I cannot remember a thing apart from the fact that it involves cherry blossoms."

In taking another mouthful of tea, he completely missed seeing Sebastian stiffen and freeze momentarily.

"Do you wish for me to stay with you until you fall asleep?" he questioned playfully. "We have not done that for a while."

Ciel waved his hand. "There is no need for that. It is not a scary dream or a horrifying dream, I just get the feeling..."

"Of what, young master?"

"That something involving cherry blossoms is going to happen soon which is strange as I have never seen an actual cherry blossom tree," the Earl mused and finished his cup of tea.

"Is that so? Then how do you that it is a cherry blossom that you see in your dream?" the demon asked, keeping his face hidden by turning away to select his master's clothes for the day.

Ciel was quiet for a moment as he considered it. "I think that I saw a drawing in a book when I was younger and for some reason I thought of them when I..." he trailed off. "I will take toast this morning."

The morning passed easily due to having business matters to take care of. The afternoon did not pass as easily and Ciel found himself wandering into the well stocked library in search of a distraction. He half heartedly perused the fiction section and nearly picked out a mystery book when he remembered his dream.

He walked over to the more scientific books and started looking for any that would contain information regarding cherry blossoms.

The task was more arduous than he had been expecting and he began drifting in and out of unconscious that was filled with dreams of cherry blossoms.

The demon that came to check on him simply watched him and smirked whenever he spoke in his sleep.

“Our two years together are coming to an end so it is only fitting that you are starting to remember,” he murmured. "But I will only reveal the full truth when the two years are up. At the moment, it seems as if I will win the bet.”

He watched the human boy sleep for a few minutes more and then he gently tapped him awake.

“Young master, it is time to wake up."

Sebastian noticed the stack of books on the table next to Ciel. They were all botany based and one caught his eye as it was on the subject of trees. He opened it up onto the middle page which had a detailed artist’s sketch of a cherry blossom tree. He glanced at his young master who was now staring at him with a sleepy eye.

“Is there anything wrong with wanting to know something about what is plaguing my dreams?” he asked indignantly.

"No, young master."

The subject of dreams and cherry blossoms was closed by Ciel reaching out to close the book and replacing it in the pile of books and asking culinary question.

“Sebastian, is it too late for a sweet snack?”

* * *

 The demon found another chance for amusement when he was changing the boy’s clothes at bedtime. His master looked wide awake and too nervous to sleep well.

Sebastian decided to take the opportunity. “Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”

There was a moment of silence before the boy replied.

"Until I fall asleep."

Observing the boy sleep uncomfortably was highly entertaining for the demon because he knew he was the one causing it. He even added a little fuel to the fire once the moans had subsided slightly.

"Do you know that a corpse is buried under every cherry blossom tree?" he whispered softly into the boy's ear and delicately stroked his hair.

If he had known the later consequences of torturing his master in his sleep, he would not have done it as it was directly related to who would win the bet in the end.

* * *

 “Did I talk in my sleep last night?” Ciel enquired the next morning at the breakfast table.

Sebastian was forced to tell with truth in this instance due to the fact that he was forbidden to lie due to the contract.

“A little.”

The Earl scowled. “What did I say?”

“It was mostly about cherry blossoms, young master,” Sebastian informed him, naturally neglecting to mention that he was the cause of most of the sleep talking and was able to get away with it because it did not count as lying.

“I am sick of dreaming about them,” his master griped.

“I am sure the dreams will stop soon,” the demon suggested innocently.

Ciel shot him a suspicious look, but did not say anything and resumed eating his scone.

The demon poured his master’s tea into a flower patterned cup and wondered briefly what the reaction would be if the teacup was patterned with cherry blossoms. It would certainly assist in increasing his prey's paranoia considerably. It was entertaining to watch him puzzle over cherry blossoms to no avail.

The Earl waited for his butler to leave the room before letting out a sigh of relief. He had noted over the past few days since he had started having those dreams that Sebastian was acting differently and whenever he was around the atmosphere was heavier and something deep within his mind was telling him that it was significant. Alternatively, it could also be a sign that he was losing his mind.

He shook his head and finished off his tea before retreating to the library to find an interesting book to read to alleviate his stress. He still did not feel like he had slept well and it was taking a toll on his concentration. He would start his work later.

Sebastian entered the library around eleven to serve him some elevenses. Ciel watched him serve out tea and remembered the demon’s reaction to the book the day before.

"Sebastian, have you ever seen a cherry blossom tree?" he asked curiously. 

Sebastian was forced to speak the truth. "Yes."

"Why are they pink?" Ciel demanded to his horror.

The demon flinched almost imperceptively which did not go unnoticed by his master and he answered the question after a moment of silence.

"Because that it is in their genetic makeup."

His prey narrowed his eye and made no further comment causing the demon to have some misgivings about his previously guaranteed chances of winning of the bet. The boy was showing unmistakeable signs of remembering the whole incident.

That night, after dismissing his butler, Ciel sat up in bed in his pitch black bedroom and tried to work out what was going on.

He was having repeated dreams of cherry blossoms which Sebastian was reacting strangely to. Sebastian's presence was no longer comforting like it was before and he had a sense that his time left to live was rapidly ticking away. Technically that was true as he had made a contract with a demon and his soul was the payment. However, he was nowhere near finding the culprits for his family's downfall so that did not make sense.

In addition, he had a feeling that whilst he had been on the brink of falling asleep the night before that someone had spoken to him and mentioned a bet and corpses. That person could have only been Sebastian because he had been the only other person his bedroom.

In order to vanquish his feelings of unease and to live long enough to hunt down the perpetrators of his parents' murder, he needed to do something to win this elusive bet that he knew nothing about.

As if to encourage him, he had a variation on his usual dream when he slipped off to sleep that was much more informative.

* * *

 Ciel opened his eyes and found himself standing in front of a grove of cherry blossom trees with their petals blowing around in the breeze. A man with black hair was standing opposite him. Ciel was about to call him Sebastian and ask him what was going on, but on closer inspection he realised it was not his demon butler- his face was too round and his hair was shorter. But his demeanour reminded him of Sebastian.

He opened his mouth to ask where he was and the man spoke instead and his manner indicated that he was continuing a conversation, not initiating a new one.

"There is a reason behind why they bloom so beautifully, it is because of the corpse."

Ciel was about to ask what was happening, but he found himself asking;

"But does that hurt the person underneath the tree?"

The mysterious arched his eyebrows and approached him slowly.

"I will make a bet with you. If we ever meet again-"

The wind blew harshly at that exact moment and he strained his ears to make out what the man was saying without any success. The only words he heard were when the wind slowed and they were not helpful.

"-but today I will let you go."

He felt a sharp pain at the back of his neck and his vision faded to black.

The boy woke up with a jolt and was relieved to recognise the familiar surroundings of his bedroom. It had all been a dream. Nevertheless, this time he had not forgotten it immediately on waking which was an encouraging sign.

He was unable to recall this event, but something about it was familiar. Perhaps it had happened when he was very young.

The strange man was reminiscent of Sebastian, yet there was no resemblance in looks so it could not have been him. Then he remembered how his true demon form had merged seamlessly into his human form nearly two years ago, if he could change his appearance on will, he could be the man that he had met underneath a cherry blossom tree. That was if his dream was a memory of a real event. It had to be true as it explained Sebastian's strange behaviour.

To his annoyance he had not heard what the man had said which may have been the terms of the elusive bet which was rather unfair. How was he supposed to win it if he did not know the terms? It felt like he had been tricked.

One thing he could do was try to work out what the winner of the bet received. He was contracted with Sebastian for his soul so that could not be it. The only other possibility was his life, but he could not see the point. He was going to die when their contract ended, so what did Sebastian want?

The demon did take some amusement whenever he was in an unfortunate situation, so perhaps he was enjoying him watching him being tormented by recurring dreams of cherry blossoms. Ciel huffed. He was going to put a stop to that and win the bet.

That was if he could work out what the bet was actually about.

He settled down again to get back to sleep. Sebastian would be too amused if he found that he had been puzzling over it all night.

* * *

 Sebastian himself was beginning to have his doubts about winning the bet. The bet was due to end in three days time because it would be two years since their second meeting and that was one of the terms. Naturally, the boy had not heard the terms of the bet as the wind had blown at a very opportune moment, therefore it was almost guaranteed that he was going to win, or that was what he told himself. This was because the loser of the bet had a nasty fate ahead of them and he did not want that.

When he had woken his master the following morning the boy was sleeping peacefully and although he had complained of the recurring dream, he did not seem to be as het up as he had previously been. He seemed to be almost relaxed. Or that was the case until Lady Elizabeth arrived unexpectedly with an invitation to a social event.

"Could you please warn me in advance next time?" Ciel sighed once he had detached himself from his fiancé. "...Is Aunt Frances with you?"

Lizzie shook her head vigorously causing Ciel and Sebastian to breathe a sigh of relief. Neither were in the mood to forcefully have their hair scraped back. Ciel retreated back to his study leaving Lizzie alone in the entrance hall with Sebastian.

"You came just in time for elevenses, Lady Elizabeth," the demon smiled politely. "You can have it in the study with the young master."

As he predicted the girl happily skipped off and he followed her to his master's study once he had prepared tea and the appropriate refreshments. When he entered Lizzie was waving an envelope in her fiancé's face.

"I have invitations for the Chelsea Flower Show in three days time. Mother and Father are busy on that day," she pouted sadly and returned to the attack. "Can you escort me? If you will not, I will have to ask my brother..."

Ciel looked up at Sebastian when he was passed a teacup of Darjeeling.

"Do I have any engagements on that day?" he enquired and did not miss the glint in the demon's eye.

"No, young master."

The bet would be ending on that day, but that was not technically a social event. That said, it would be hard to end the bet in a public place. He would have to subtly dissuade him from going.

"However young master, your health has not been too good of late so perhaps you should give this event a miss," he advised.

Ciel glanced back at Lizzie. "I will go. A change in air might be beneficial."

Lizzie's face burst into a smile and she clapped her hands. "We have been there before, if you can remember."

He took a sip of tea. "Really? I cannot remember."

"Yes. It was six years ago, I think. You sneaked off-" she broke off and hurriedly changed the subject. "Do you think my dress is cute?"

Ciel looked down at her pink dress distractedly, more concerned with her cut off sentence.

"It is very cute. You can leave us now," he said pointedly to Sebastian, keen to be left alone with his cousin.

The demon left the room and once Ciel had heard his footsteps fade away, he turned back to Lizzie.

"What happened at the last flower show we went to?" he probed.

Lizzie looked upset. "I was supposed to keep it a secret. No one else knew apart from your parents and mine."

"Lizzie," Ciel said sharply. "Considering that it concerns me, why should it be kept from me?"

Fortunately for him, she buckled under pressure from him and after some persuading she confessed.

"You found it boring and disappeared during the prize giving and we worked out after asking around that you had left the premises and had gone down the road. Your father found you an hour later in a grove of trees, lying unconscious on the ground."

Ciel barely managed to save his teacup from smashing after it slipped from his grasp.

"...Were they cherry blossom trees?"

Lizzie screwed up her face in thought. "I did not see them myself, but I heard that the trees were cherry blossoms. Ciel!?"

Her cousin's face turned a sickly pallor and his head swayed uncontrollably. She reached out to steady him and caught him before his head crashed down onto his desk.

"Ciel! Should I get Sebastian?" she asked him, unsure if he could still hear her.

"No!" He grabbed her hand blindly. "I am fine. Just give me a moment."

He kept his head still and waited for the black spots on his vision to clear whilst Lizzie hovered uncertainly beside him. A few minutes later, he felt in control again and sat up.

"Thank you, Lizzie. Now about the arrangements for Thursday..."

* * *

 

Dinner was a subdued event for Ciel. He barely tasted his food and completely ignored Sebastian as he mind was occupied with the confirmed revelation that his dream had really happened and he was trapped in a bet with unknown terms. He had a bad feeling that something connected to the bet was going to occur at the flower show. He had to do something about it.

Running away was not an option and he would not have done it anyway. Neither was informing Sebastian directly that he knew of their past meeting and of their bet. After much consideration he realised that he really did not have any cards to play and was likely to lose the bet, whatever it was.

"You are quiet tonight, young master," Sebastian's voice jerked him out of his internal monologue and he jumped in his chair. "Is my Strawberry Shortcake not up to your standards?"

Ciel blinked and looked down at his untouched dessert and hastily took a delicate forkful and savoured the sweet taste. Regardless of how jumpy he felt in Sebastian's presence, it was impossible to refute that he was good with desserts.

"It is tolerable," he answered and finished it off.

Sebastian picked up his plate and Ciel's attention was drawn to the butler's gloved hands that concealed the mark of their contract and he wondered if the contract had any effect on their bet.

Then he came to the realisation that there was one thing that he could do to aid his poor chances of winning the bet.

"Sebastian," he called and waited until his butler returned to his side. "I had a dream that I made a bet with someone and I cannot remember the terms of this bet. If the events in my dream turn out to be real, I order you to make me win the bet, whatever it may be."

The frozen look on Sebastian's face caused him to smirk widely. Perhaps there was a chance that he was going to win after all.

* * *

  **A/N: There really is a Japanese legend about cherry blossoms being pink because of blood.**

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Under the Blossoms:**

**Chapter 2:**

 

"Are you all right, Sebastian? You don't look well," Ciel tried to hide his grin. Judging from the demon's reaction he had outsmarted him. The tables had turned.

Sebastian's eyes narrowed momentarily. "Yes, my lord," he intoned without any of his usual enthusiasm.

He left the room very quickly, leaving a smirking Earl in his wake. The brat had known a lot more than he had let on and he had only just revealed it now with the bet set to end within three days. He had been prepared to claim his victory over him.

The demon consoled himself by resolving to find a loophole within the order before the flower show. In any case his master was unlikely to have worked out the terms of the bet. He had surprised himself when he had decided that conditions on the spur of the moment. There was still a chance of winning.

A number of hours later after putting his extremely smug young master to bed, he was forced to change his mind. The brat had covered everything in his order, much like when they had made the contract; obey every order and no lies. He had taken care not to specify anything about the bet so he was going to have to obey the order. Sebastian thought back to Ciel's exact words.

‘I had a dream that I made a bet with someone and I cannot remember the terms of this bet. If the events in my dream turn out to be real, I order you to make me win the bet, whatever it may be.’

There was no way of knowing what the brat had actually dreamed of and dreams were intangible things. Granted, he knew it involved cherry blossoms and a bet and that was indeed what happened seven years ago under the blossoms, but if that dream had any detail wrong that would mean that he did not have to obey the order. The loser of the bet was not going to be him. There was also another glimmer of hope, there were some things that he could not be ordered to do and that covered one of the terms of the bet.

Mentally he cursed his contractee for making him waste time worrying. The boy's plan had most likely been to make him think that he knew everything and trick him into following the order when he did not have to. Provided that the dream was not accurate to the smallest detail, he was going to win.

Ciel slept a little easier, knowing that he done something to try to win the bet and he had the beginnings of a plan, but he did not know if it would be enough. He was relying on his dream being a memory and dreams were not the most reliable of things. Hopefully this idea would have occurred to Sebastian and the demon would believe that victory was in his hands and would be unsuspicious.

* * *

 

The morning of the end of the bet dawned bright and early and much to his distaste Ciel was woken by a cheerful demon.

"It's time to wake up, young master," he greeted happily and pulled the curtains back. "It is an important day today."

Ciel raised his eyebrows as he sat up in bed. "Why?"

"You are taking Lady Elizabeth, your fiancée to the flower show."

His master's only response was to groan.

"I'm sure it will not be that boring, you never know, something could happen..." Sebastian said with a smile that caused his master to snap properly awake immediately.

"What do you mean by that?" Ciel asked sharply. He had been right, something connected to the bet was going to happen today.

Instead of answering the demon began pouring him his preferred Earl Grey into his favourite teacup from the Herend Chinoiserie set.

"For breakfast, you can choose whatever you like to eat," he offered unexpectedly.

Ciel blinked in surprise. Normally Sebastian offered a range of foods, one normally involved spinach or another green leafy vegetable and they had a minor disagreement over the spinach and Sebastian sneaked it in somewhere anyway.

"Really? Even if I want cake?"

"If that is what you desire, young master," Sebastian bowed.

The Earl's face lit up and he selected his favourite dessert, keen to take advantage of it before the demon changed his mind.

"Black Forest Gateau."

His cake was waiting for him when he entered the dining room for breakfast and he sat down to eat whilst he read the Times. He was unconsciously waiting to be interrupted by a member of the idiot trio or Lau which was a customary occurrence for him. Instead he had a peaceful breakfast and he spent his morning in the library catching up on the latest issue of the Strand, keen to know what had happened next in the Sign of Four. It was unusual for him to have a free morning and he had been sure that he had a dancing lesson scheduled.

He became aware of how much time had passed when Sebastian came to tell him that it was time to leave for the flower show. As he was about to step into the carriage, he turned around and looked at the manor. The servants had been quiet all morning and he was half expecting for Finny to come crying because he had broken something again.

"Sebastian, why is it so quiet?" he enquired.

"I gave all of the servants the day off," he replied with a smile. "I thought it would give you some peace for once."

That was when it hit Ciel. His favourite tea, china, no explosions or disturbances and no dancing lesson. Sebastian was expecting him to die today so he had allowed him a peaceful and pleasurable morning for once as some sort of last reward. He didn't speak for the duration of the carriage ride to Temple Garden as he was mulling it over. He had assumed that, considering the contract and the fact that Sebastian was after his soul, the outcome of the bet was not his death. The shock had thrown him and much to Lizzie's displeasure he was uncommunicative all afternoon at the flower show and was not willing to socialise.

Despite the fact that he was supposed to be escorting her, Lizzie was the one to lead him around Temple Garden and regularly point out flower arrangements that were supposedly cute and to compliment other women's outfits. Ciel's attempts to keep an eye on Sebastian were fruitless as he had disappeared several hours ago.

"Look at those white roses!" his fiancée exclaimed. "You like white roses."

"You have said that already," Ciel sighed tiredly, casting a bored glance at the rows of his favourite flower.

Lizzie shook her head. "No, we have not walked around this part yet."

Ciel stiffened and looked around at his surroundings with a more alert eye. She was right, they had not looked around this set of flowers before so why had he recognised her words? It could be that he was remembering a previous visit to the flower show. He concentrated on the white roses and tried his best to recall it.

Without thinking he pulled his arms away from Lizzie and ran out from under the marquee leaving her calling after him. He remembered slipping away from his parents and running out onto the street. Ciel followed the route in his memory and turned left at the end of the street, narrowly avoiding a carriage Then he rushed across the road and followed the directions from his memory and reached St. James' Park. He walked into a group of trees in a quiet area of the park and squeezed through the gap between two oak trees and rather predictably found himself in a grove of cherry blossom trees where someone was waiting for him.

A man dressed in black was standing beneath a blooming cherry blossom tree with his back facing Ciel.

Naturally Ciel recognised him, having seen him every day for the past two years.

"Hello, Sebastian."

The demon turned to face him with a smile on his face that Ciel had never witnessed before. It was not a pleasant looking smile, it was the most demonic expression he had ever seen his butler show and he fought back a shiver.

"I was hoping you would come here," Sebastian greeted.

"What would you have done if I had not remembered?"

"I would have taken you here forcibly. It is only fitting that the conclusion of the bet occurs at the same place as its inception."

Ciel took a step forward and resisted the urge to run. He had never been scared of Sebastian before, but now the demon was emitting a dark aura.

"Are these cherry blossom trees? They look beautiful."

A look of understanding passed across the demon's face and he continued the dialogue.

"Do you like them? Do you know that a corpse is buried under every cherry blossom tree?"

"A corpse?"

"There is a reason behind why they bloom so beautifully, it is because of the corpse. The blossoms are white in reality, they are only pale crimson because they drank the blood from the corpse underneath the tree."

"But doesn’t that hurt the person underneath the tree?"

"You know," Sebastian said, breaking the pattern. "If you had not said that line with such innocent face and tearful eyes, I would not have made the bet- I would I have just killed you there and then."

From that, the Earl knew that his dream had been missing some events and he frowned which Sebastian picked up on immediately.

"Did your dream not tell you? I had just finished with my previous contractee when you entered the scene. I did hide, but the blood dropped on your face and I revealed myself. Because you saw me, you had to die."

"Am I really still alive just because of my innocence?" Ciel questioned.,

Sebastian smirked. "I thought it would be fun to corrupt you and I am looking forward to seeing the betrayed expression on your face when you find out the terms of the bet and your loss."

Ciel steeled himself to carry on by assuring himself that his order would be absolute. He could not let his fear show or even hint that he had been thrown off by what Sebastian had revealed.

"What about my soul? Don't you want that more?"

Sebastian twitched. "How was I to know that you would procure such a mouth watering soul before I made the bet? It is regrettable, but I will not be consuming your soul."

"Could you be as kind as to inform me of the terms of this bet? It is rather unfair for the other participant not to know," Ciel demanded, deciding now was the time to find out and he had been curious ever since he had found out about the bet.

This elicited another sadistic smile from the demon before he complied using the exact words he had said seven years ago whilst the wind had blown.

"If we ever meet again, we will live together for two years. My demon heart is the opposite of yours. You are pure, kind and honest and although you may change when you grow up, you will be the same underneath. Your heart will stay pure," he paused, ready to watch the shocked look spread across his master's face. "So if we ever meet again, for two years I will try my hardest to learn to love you and at the end of those two years, if I consider you to be different to those that I have killed, you will have won and I will spare your life. But if I decide that I cannot see you as special to me... that you are no different, then I will kill you too. But today I will let you go."

He was not disappointed by the boy's response. His visible eye widened, his pupils dilated and his skin turned even more ashen than usual. He smirked.

"I bet you were not expecting that."

A blanket of silence spread over the grove as Ciel stared horror struck at Sebastian. The only way for him to win the bet was for Sebastian to fall in love with him. That had been the last thing he had been expecting, to be more precise he had never considered it. He was a male, it was forbidden for two males to be in a relationship. A thought of what the Queen's reaction would be passed unbidden through his mind. He would have sullied the Phantomhive name forever.

"I regret to say that I have not fallen for you, young master," Sebastian said and reached out to stroke his cheek. "I admire your fortitude and intelligence and I enjoy watching you outwit others and I also enjoy watching you when you are at your lowest.  I do not hate you, but I do not love you either."

Ciel recovered his speech if only to blurt out, "So I have lost? What about my order?"

Sebastian's face twisted into a scowl. "Yes, that order. I do not think it has taken effect. You see, I do not feel anything when I do this."

As quick as lightning he pushed Ciel up against a cherry blossom tree, knocking his eye patch and bent his left arm back which broke with a sickening crack. Ciel cried out in pain and fear. He was going to be killed by the one person who was supposed to protect him unless he did something to fight back.

"The order did not cover breakage of limbs, I still may have won," he managed to say in a level voice that showed no sign of his unease and pain.

Without saying another word Sebastian broke his right leg causing Ciel to scream again and the demon's hands moved up Ciel's body and wrapped themselves around his neck.

"I win, young master."

The boy choked as his butler's hands began to squeeze and constrict his airway and his vision started to fade.

"It would have been more fitting to stab you with some Phantomhive silver considering the number of people that I have killed on your behalf or to rip your head off, but I want to see the light leave your eyes."

Ciel's grip on consciousness started to fade and he waited for the end, his only regrets being that he had not found the ones responsible for his parents' deaths and he had not managed to outsmart Sebastian. Then he felt the grip around his neck loosen and his vision slowly became clearer.

"Why can't I do it?" Sebastian whispered and let Ciel go, causing him to sink to the ground with a thud. "I do not love you."

"The or-"

"A demon cannot be ordered to love anyone," he cut Ciel off.

Ciel tried to sit up and winced. His left arm was hanging uselessly at his side, but most importantly he was still alive. It did make sense that Sebastian could not be made to love him through an order. He cleared his throat.

"I will forget what happened today if you never try to kill me again."

"That will not do!" the demon snapped back. "The bet must have a conclusion again."

Ciel knew that he had to tread carefully as Sebastian was clearly angry. Nevertheless he preferred to win the bet and keep the contract and demon. Sebastian was supposed to protect him, not try to kill him and make creepy bets under cherry blossom trees which had been giving him sleepless nights. He was not acting befittingly of a Phantomhive butler.

"I won. You cannot bring yourself to kill me. Therefore I go free and this bet ends. You have lost, Sebastian. Accept it."

He was not going to be the one to mention the other factor. They were both males for heaven's sake. Unthinkingly an image of Grell Sutcliffe popped up in his head and he groaned inwardly. Maybe it was something normal for Grim Reapers and demons.

"I have not lost!" Sebastian argued and approached him and loomed over him, blocking out the sunlight. "It was just a moment of hesitation."

The teenage Earl stared up at him defiantly, the sight of his butler losing his unusually unruffled demeanour giving him confidence.

"Do it then. If you can."

Fortunately for Ciel, this time Sebastian went straight for his neck without stopping to break anymore limbs and he stopped choking him sooner this time before his face turned blue and his vision faded.

After releasing his chokehold for the second time, Sebastian dropped to the ground next to him and gave him a small smile.

"You win, young master."

Ciel coughed delicately, extremely unwilling to ask the unspoken question, but he could not leave the issue unaddressed.

"...Do you love me?"

"I must do if you have won the bet," he raised one eyebrow suggestively, seeming to return to normal. "Do you love me in return?"

Upon hearing that line, Ciel instantly flushed a deep red.

"Of course not! You are the same gender as me. It is forbidden."

Sebastian leaned forward. "I never thought that you were one to follow the law, young master. What are all of your underworld acquaintances for then?"

Wordlessly Ciel squirmed away from the smirking demon who was clearly enjoying himself and hit his broken arm against the trunk of the tree accidentally, bringing Sebastian's attention to it. He gently picked it up and examined it as if he was not the person to cause it.

"It's a clean break fortunately and the same goes for your leg. You will have to have a break from your dancing lessons and social events for a while, young master. I am sure that will be a nuisance for you."

The Earl glared balefully at him. He had won the bet and was not going to die today, but he had broken limbs and gained a butler who was in love with him.

"Never try to kill me again, that is an order," he informed the demon tartly. "Or break any more of my body parts or make any other bets with me."

"Yes, my Lord," Sebastian bowed before straightening up. "You need to return to the flower show before Lady Elizabeth raises the alarm and goes on the warpath."

He picked his master up delicately, being careful not to touch his broken arm or leg and they left the grove of cherry blossom trees, both intending to never return. On seeing her fiancé's condition, Lizzie had been quite upset and had cried all over Ciel's sleeve, but she had not asked any questions much to his surprise. Instead of returning to the manor Sebastian and Ciel went to the townhouse due to his injuries where Soma and Agni cried all over him, wetting his clothes with nasal secretions. Ciel was not looking forward to seeing the idiot trio who were bound to get even more upset when they saw him.

Sebastian found his contractee asleep on top of the covers on his bed when he came to check on him after coming up with a plausible story for the Lady Elizabeth and for the prince and his servant.

He gently shook him awake and watched his eyes slowly open to reveal one cerulean blue eye and once marked with a pentagram. He definitely preferred his master alive than dead. Who else was going to challenge him on a daily basis and provide as much entertainment as he did?

"Young master, you need to change clothes before you go to sleep," he reprimanded him lightly.

Ciel yawned and stretched one arm out and let himself be pulled up so Sebastian could change his clothes.

"Will the fact that you... love me change anything?" he asked hesitantly. He wanted to know if he had to be on the lookout for any romantic behaviour.

Sebastian smiled. "It should not. I am not going to start making you heart shaped cakes or write you love letters."

Ciel shuddered at the image and moved on. "Are you still going to take my soul?"

Sebastian looked thoughtful. "Yes, but there is not a time limit. We could find those responsible for your parents' deaths and I could wait until later to take it. Or I could never take it and wait for your soul to be reincarnated."

“Do as you like, just do not try to kill me, make any bets or break any more of my bones. You have certainly not been ‘one hell of a butler’ today."

"I apologise, young master. I will not do it again," he paused. "It is more fun to watch you squirm when I mention the reason for you winning the bet than watching you die."

For that he received a dirty look from his master and he changed the subject by pulling back the bed covers and helping his master get comfortable. He blew out the candles and was about to leave when he heard the boy call out his name sleepily.

"What is it, young master? Surely you do not need me to stay with you now that the nightmares are gone."

"I have an order; make sure that I never see a cherry blossom tree ever again."

The demon smirked. "Of course. Is there anything else?"

He heard his master yawn again and he sounded half asleep when spoke again.

"You are right. I have never been one to obey the law and I do not mind breaking it if it is with you."

Sebastian's smirk stretched into a genuine smile and he returned to his master's side to give him a light kiss on the forehead.

"Thank you, young master."

**The End**

* * *

 

**A/N: As some people may notice this story owes some of its plot to Tokyo Babylon by CLAMP. The bet, some of the dialogue and some of the symbolism comes from that manga. If I was following it completely Sebastian would lose one eye, Ciel would ‘lose’ the bet, there would be a sequel where Ciel loses his eye and gains Sebastian’s.**

**This story was originally published on ffnet in 2014 as 6 chapters. It remains the only story where I have had writer’s block. This version has had some of the extra plot removed and typos cleared up. I lent Tokyo Babylon to my younger sister the other day which reminded me of this story and how sadistic CLAMP are to my OTP. Tokyo Babylon was the first Shonen Ai manga I enjoyed and the main leads remain my favourite pairing.**


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